Travel companies help Americans book flights, hotels, cruises, and vacation rentals every single day. A handful of major companies handle most of the travel bookings made across the country today.
Some of these companies started as small tech projects in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Others go back much further, built around cars, roads, and cruise ships long before the internet existed.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top 10 leading travel companies in the United States, based on their history, ownership, and the kind of travel services they focus on.
Quick Comparison
| Rank | Company | Founded | Owner / Founders | US Headquarters | Core Focus |
| 1 | Expedia Group | 1996 | Founded by Rich Barton; publicly listed, led by CEO Ariane Gorin | Seattle, Washington | Flights, Hotels & Vacation Packages |
| 2 | Booking Holdings | 1996 | Founded by Jay S. Walker; publicly listed, led by CEO Glenn Fogel | Norwalk, Connecticut | Hotel & Travel Booking Platforms |
| 3 | Airbnb | 2008 | Founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia & Nathan Blecharczyk; publicly listed, led by CEO Brian Chesky | San Francisco, California | Vacation Rentals & Home Stays |
| 4 | Tripadvisor | 2000 | Founded by Stephen Kaufer & Langley Steinert; publicly listed, led by CEO Matt Goldberg | Needham, Massachusetts | Travel Reviews & Trip Planning |
| 5 | AAA (American Automobile Association) | 1902 | Founded by nine local motor clubs; not-for-profit federation, led by CEO Gene Boehm | Heathrow, Florida | Roadside Assistance & Travel Services |
| 6 | Carnival Corporation | 1972 | Founded by Ted Arison; publicly listed, led by CEO Josh Weinstein | Miami, Florida | Cruise Vacations |
| 7 | American Express Global Business Travel | 2019 | Formed from Amex’s travel division; publicly listed, led by CEO Paul Abbott | New York, New York | Corporate & Business Travel Management |
| 8 | Kayak | 2004 | Founded by Steve Hafner & Paul English; owned by Booking Holdings, led by CEO Peer Bueller | Norwalk, Connecticut | Flight & Hotel Price Comparison |
| 9 | Priceline | 1997 | Founded by Jay S. Walker; owned by Booking Holdings | Norwalk, Connecticut | Discount Travel Booking |
| 10 | Marriott Vacations Worldwide | 2011 | Spun off from Marriott International; publicly listed | Orlando, Florida | Vacation Ownership & Resort Stays |
1. Expedia Group – A Microsoft Project That Became a Travel Giant
- Founded: 1996
- Owner: Founded by Rich Barton; publicly listed, led by CEO Ariane Gorin
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington
Expedia started inside Microsoft in 1996, built by Rich Barton and a small team who wanted to make flight and hotel prices more transparent for regular travelers. The idea was simple: let people book trips directly online instead of relying only on traditional travel agents. Expedia became an independent public company just a few years later, in 1999.
The company grew by buying up other well-known travel brands, including Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Orbitz. Its biggest deal came in 2015, when Expedia paid $3.9 billion for HomeAway, later rebranded as Vrbo, to compete with the rise of Airbnb. Ariane Gorin took over as CEO in 2024, leading the company through its 30th year in business.
What Expedia Group does: Lets customers book flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages online.
Services: Flight booking, hotel booking, vacation rentals, car rentals, and cruise packages.
2. Booking Holdings – The Company Behind Priceline and Booking.com
- Founded: 1996
- Owner: Founded by Jay S. Walker; publicly listed, led by CEO Glenn Fogel
- Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut
Booking Holdings traces back to 1996, when Jay S. Walker started Priceline.com in Stamford, Connecticut, with an unusual idea: let customers name their own price for flights and hotels. The company later expanded well beyond that original “name your price” model. In 2005, Priceline bought a small Dutch hotel booking site called Booking.com for just $133 million.
That purchase turned out to be one of the most successful acquisitions in internet history, as Booking.com grew into the company’s biggest brand. The parent company later renamed itself Booking Holdings in 2018 to reflect this shift. Glenn Fogel now leads the company as CEO, overseeing Booking.com, Priceline, Kayak, and several other travel brands.
What Booking Holdings does: Operates several major online travel booking websites and apps.
Services: Hotel booking, flight search, rental cars, restaurant reservations, and travel price comparison.
3. Airbnb – The Company That Turned Spare Rooms Into a Business
- Founded: 2008
- Owner: Founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia & Nathan Blecharczyk; publicly listed, led by CEO Brian Chesky
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
Airbnb began in 2007 when roommates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, struggling to pay rent in San Francisco, rented out air mattresses in their living room to conference visitors. The idea barely worked at first, earning the founders almost nothing in its early days. They even sold themed cereal boxes just to keep the company afloat while building out the idea further.
Nathan Blecharczyk later joined to help build the technology behind the growing platform. Airbnb eventually expanded into a massive global network with millions of hosts offering rooms, homes, and unique stays. The company went public in December 2020, and Brian Chesky continues to lead Airbnb today as CEO.
What Airbnb does: Connects travelers with hosts renting out rooms, homes, and unique stays.
Services: Vacation rentals, home stays, experiences, and long-term stay bookings.
4. Tripadvisor – The World’s Largest Travel Review Site
- Founded: 2000
- Owner: Founded by Stephen Kaufer & Langley Steinert; publicly listed, led by CEO Matt Goldberg
- Headquarters: Needham, Massachusetts
Tripadvisor started in 2000 after founder Stephen Kaufer had a frustrating experience trying to research a hotel before booking a vacation. He and co-founder Langley Steinert built a website where real travelers could leave honest reviews and photos, instead of relying only on glossy marketing brochures. The site was sold to Expedia’s parent company in 2004 for $210 million.
Tripadvisor later split off as its own independent public company in 2011. The platform grew to include dozens of other travel brands, such as Viator and TheFork. Stephen Kaufer led the company for over two decades before retiring in 2022, with Matt Goldberg now serving as CEO.
What Tripadvisor does: Lets travelers read and write reviews about hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Services: Travel reviews, hotel and flight booking, tour and activity bookings, and restaurant reservations.
5. AAA (American Automobile Association) – A Century-Old Travel and Auto Club
- Founded: 1902
- Owner: Founded by nine local motor clubs; not-for-profit federation, led by CEO Gene Boehm
- Headquarters: Heathrow, Florida
AAA started in 1902, when nine small local automobile clubs joined together in Chicago to support the small but growing number of car owners across the country. At the time, roads were still designed mainly for horses and buggies, not cars. AAA advocated for better roads while also publishing some of the earliest road maps and hotel guides in the country.
Over the following century, the organization expanded well beyond roads into travel planning, insurance, and banking services. AAA now serves more than 65 million members across the United States and Canada. Gene Boehm has served as president and CEO of AAA since 2024.
What AAA does: Provides roadside assistance, travel planning, and member-based travel and insurance services.
Services: Roadside assistance, travel booking, hotel and rental car discounts, insurance, and trip planning guides.
6. Carnival Corporation – The World’s Largest Cruise Line Operator
- Founded: 1972
- Owner: Founded by Ted Arison; publicly listed, led by CEO Josh Weinstein
- Headquarters: Miami, Florida
Carnival Cruise Line was started in 1972 by Ted Arison, an Israeli-American businessman who had already spent years working in the shipping industry. His first ship famously ran aground on its very first voyage, an embarrassing start for what would become a massive cruise business. Despite that rocky beginning, Carnival grew steadily into one of the most recognizable cruise brands in America.
The company later expanded by acquiring several other major cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard. Carnival Corporation now operates more than 90 ships across eight different cruise brands worldwide. Josh Weinstein currently leads the company as president and CEO.
What Carnival Corporation does: Operates cruise ships and vacation packages under several well-known brands.
Services: Cruise vacations, onboard entertainment, shore excursions, and vacation packages.
7. American Express Global Business Travel – A Corporate Travel Specialist
- Founded: 2019
- Owner: Formed from Amex’s travel division; publicly listed, led by CEO Paul Abbott
- Headquarters: New York, New York
American Express Global Business Travel, often called Amex GBT, grew out of American Express’s much older corporate travel division. The company became its own separate business in 2019, focused specifically on managing travel for other companies rather than individual leisure travelers. This let Amex GBT specialize deeply in the needs of business travelers and corporate travel budgets.
The company went public in 2022 under the ticker symbol GBTG, with American Express, Expedia Group, and Qatar Investment Authority all holding ownership stakes. Amex GBT now employs around 18,000 people across more than 140 countries. Paul Abbott has led the company as CEO since 2019.
What American Express Global Business Travel does: Manages business travel bookings and expenses for corporate clients.
Services: Corporate flight and hotel booking, travel expense management, and business event planning.
8. Kayak – A Flight Search Tool Built by Travel Industry Veterans
- Founded: 2004
- Owner: Founded by Steve Hafner & Paul English; owned by Booking Holdings, led by CEO Peer Bueller
- Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut
Kayak was started in 2004 by Steve Hafner, who had previously co-founded travel site Orbitz, along with software expert Paul English. The two built Kayak as a search tool that compares flight and hotel prices across many other travel websites at once. This “metasearch” approach let travelers quickly compare deals without checking dozens of sites individually.
Kayak grew quickly and was eventually bought by Priceline Group, now known as Booking Holdings, in 2013. The company continues operating as its own separate brand within the larger Booking Holdings family. Peer Bueller became Kayak’s CEO in 2026, with co-founder Steve Hafner shifting into the role of executive chair.
What Kayak does: Compares flight, hotel, and rental car prices across multiple travel websites.
Services: Flight search, hotel price comparison, rental car search, and travel deal alerts.
9. Priceline – The Original “Name Your Own Price” Travel Site
- Founded: 1997
- Owner: Founded by Jay S. Walker; owned by Booking Holdings
- Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut
Priceline was started in 1997 by entrepreneur Jay S. Walker, built around an unusual idea for the time: let customers name the price they were willing to pay for a flight or hotel room. Airlines and hotels could then decide whether to accept that price, filling seats and rooms that might otherwise go empty. This model made Priceline stand out from typical travel booking sites early on.
The company eventually expanded into more traditional booking options alongside its original pricing model. Priceline’s parent company grew so large through acquisitions like Booking.com that it later renamed itself Booking Holdings. Priceline remains one of the flagship brands within that larger company today.
What Priceline does: Offers discounted flights, hotels, and rental cars, including its original name-your-price model.
Services: Discount hotel booking, flight booking, rental cars, and vacation packages.
10. Marriott Vacations Worldwide – A Spin-Off Focused on Vacation Ownership
- Founded: 2011
- Owner: Spun off from Marriott International; publicly listed
- Headquarters: Orlando, Florida
Marriott Vacations Worldwide became its own separate public company in 2011, after splitting off from the much larger hotel chain Marriott International. The company focused specifically on vacation ownership, commonly known as timeshares, rather than traditional nightly hotel stays. This let it specialize deeply in longer, resort-style vacation experiences.
The company operates resorts under several vacation brands, including Marriott Vacation Club and Sheraton Vacation Club. Marriott Vacations Worldwide later expanded further by acquiring rival timeshare company ILG in 2018. The company continues focusing on resort-style vacations for members who own or rent vacation weeks.
What Marriott Vacations Worldwide does: Sells and manages vacation ownership resorts and resort stays.
Services: Vacation ownership (timeshares), resort stays, and vacation exchange programs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which is the largest online travel company in the USA?
Booking Holdings and Expedia Group are the two largest online travel companies in the country, both operating multiple well-known travel brands.
2. Which companies are owned by Booking Holdings?
Booking.com, Priceline, and Kayak are all owned by Booking Holdings, along with several other travel brands.
3. Which company focuses mainly on vacation rentals rather than hotels?
Airbnb focuses mainly on vacation rentals and home stays, rather than traditional hotel bookings.
4. Which is the oldest travel company on this list?
AAA is the oldest, founded in 1902, more than 90 years before most other companies on this list existed.
5. Which company focuses specifically on cruise vacations?
Carnival Corporation focuses specifically on cruise vacations, operating more than 90 ships across eight different brands.
6. Which company manages travel for businesses rather than individual travelers?
American Express Global Business Travel focuses specifically on managing corporate travel for other companies.
7. Are travel companies in the USA regulated?
Yes, travel companies must follow consumer protection rules from the FTC, along with airline and cruise industry regulations.
8. Which company started with a “name your own price” model?
Priceline started with a name-your-own-price model, letting customers offer what they wanted to pay for flights and hotels.
9. Which company focuses on timeshares and vacation ownership?
Marriott Vacations Worldwide focuses specifically on vacation ownership resorts, commonly known as timeshares.
10. Why do these ten companies matter to everyday people?
These companies handle many of the flight, hotel, cruise, and vacation rental bookings Americans make every year.
Conclusion
America’s travel industry comprises technology start-ups, century-old auto clubs, and cruise conglomerates, offering various services to help people plan and book their travel.
Such well-known brands as Expedia, Airbnb, Tripadvisor, AAA, Carnival, Amex GBT, and Marriott Vacations Worldwide were created in the U.S. and became one of the biggest in the world. Booking Holdings, Kayak, and Priceline are also leading players in the industry.
These ten companies dominate the market by providing people with different services ranging from short-term weekend bookings to setting up cruises. Leading travel companies will shape the way Americans search, plan, and experience their travel for decades to come with the constant development and improvement of current technologies.
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